Carolina Panthers' Sam Darnold says he's confident he can be one of the NFL's best quarterbacks

A 17-32 record as an NFL starter and the threat of being replaced during the offseason first by Deshaun Watson and now possibly by third-round pick Matt Corral hasn't made Carolina Panthers starter Sam Darnold any less confident in his abilities.

«As long as I know what we're doing, what the defense is doing, I'm confident I can be one of the best quarterbacks in the league,» Darnold said on Tuesday, the first time he has spoken to reporters since offseason workouts began.

Coach Matt Rhule, who hasn't ruled out bringing in a veteran at some point, went so far as to say Darnold is practicing with an «edge» he hasn't seen before.

«What Sam has been through this offseason has been very hard,» Rhule said. «Your back's against the wall. Everyone's kind of questioning whether you can do this or not. We've seen a guy who has shown up who has a little more edge to him. He's very, very focused.»

But going from focused to one of the best quarterbacks in the league would be a big leap.

Since the New York Jets selected him with the third pick of the 2018 draft, Darnold has consistently ranked as one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL. His total QBR of 33.2 in 2021, his first year at Carolina, ranked 29th among qualified quarterbacks.

He ranked 33rd in 2020 with a 32.9 rating, 25th in 2019 at 45.9 and 28th in 2018 at 45.9.

In four seasons, he has thrown almost as many interceptions (52) as he has touchdown passes (54). He has a 59.8 career completion percentage since 2018 that also ranks among the worst in the league.

Such numbers are why the Panthers were willing to give up three first-round picks and players for Watson, ultimately traded by the Houston Texans to the Cleveland Browns. They are why Carolina remains interested in